I have questions about the updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Why are you updating your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy?

We are updating our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to make them easier to understand and to reflect new WhatsApp features and services. For example, our updated Terms and Privacy Policy refer to new features such as WhatsApp Calling, WhatsApp for web and desktop, and end-to-end encryption, as well as our plans to help you communicate with businesses using our service. They also explain that we are part of the Facebook family of companies. While WhatsApp will continue to operate as a separate service from Facebook, we plan to share some information with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies that will allow us to coordinate more and improve experiences across our services and those of Facebook and the Facebook family.

Will there be ads on WhatsApp now?

We still do not allow third-party banner ads on WhatsApp.

In the future, we will explore ways for you and businesses to communicate with each other using WhatsApp, such as through order, transaction, and appointment information, delivery and shipping notifications, product and service updates, and marketing. For example, you may receive flight status information for upcoming travel, a receipt for something you purchased, or a notification when a delivery will be made. Messages you may receive containing marketing could include an offer for something that might interest you.

We do not want you to have a spammy experience; as with all of your messages, you can manage these communications, and we will honor the choices you make.

What information is being shared with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies?

We plan to share some information with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies that will allow us to coordinate more, such as to fight spam and abuse, and improve experiences across our services and those of Facebook and the Facebook family. For example, once you have accepted our updated Terms and Privacy Policy, we will share some of your account information with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies, like the phone number you verified when you registered with WhatsApp, as well as the last time you used our service.

Nothing you share on WhatsApp, including your messages, photos, and account information, will be shared onto Facebook or any of the Facebook family of apps for others to see. This means, for example, although some information will be shared with Facebook (such as your phone number), that information will not be seen by other people on Facebook. In addition, when you and your contacts use the latest version of our app, your messages are end-to-end encrypted by default. When your messages are end-to-end encrypted, only the people you are messaging with can read them – not WhatsApp, Facebook, or anyone else.

Why are you sharing information with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies?

WhatsApp is part of the Facebook family of companies, and sharing some information allows us to coordinate more and improve experiences across our services and those of Facebook and the Facebook family. For example:

We will be able to more accurately count unique users.

We can better fight spam and abuse.

If you are a Facebook user, you might see better friend suggestions and more relevant ads on Facebook.

What if I'm not a Facebook user?

Not a problem. You can keep using WhatsApp. You will not be required to create a Facebook account.

Does this mean my information will be shared onto Facebook for others to see?

Nothing you share on WhatsApp, including your messages, photos, and account information, will be shared onto Facebook or any of the Facebook family of apps for others to see. This means, for example, although some information will be shared with Facebook (such as your phone number), that information will not be seen by other people on Facebook. In addition, when you and your contacts use the latest version of our app, your messages are end-to-end encrypted by default. When your messages are end-to-end encrypted, only the people you are messaging with can read them – not WhatsApp, Facebook, or anyone else.

You can read the full text of our updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy here.